Auxiliary starting engine for locomotives



Dec. 2, 1924- 1,517,263 c. F. STREET AUXILIARY STARTING ENGINE FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 10, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l ampemtoz De 2, 1924; T,7,2fi3

C. F. STREET AUXILIARY STARTING ENGINE FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June '10 1922 2 Sheets-Shae! 2 Patented Dec. 2, 1924,

CLEMENT F. STREET, OF GBEENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

AUXILIARY STARTING ENGINE FOB LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed .Tune 10, 1922.

To all whom a may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMENT F. STREET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Auxiliary Starting Engines for Locomotives, of which improvement the following is a specification.

This invention relates to auxiliary engines for locomotives, such as are adapted to be used to assist the main'engine oi the'locomotive in starting heavy trains, and to aid in propelling the same upon grades or at other points wherever desired when operating at low speeds.

My improved auxiliary engine is of the reciprocating type, having a piston actuated by steam pressure in one direction and by a spring upon the return stroke, the piston rod being connected to operate a pawl and ratchet mechanism for turning one of the axles, such as shown and described in my prior applications Serial No. 455,037, filed March 24, 1921, and Serial No. 538,353, filed February 21, 1922.

The objects of my present invention are to provide improved means of support tor the engine and ratchet connection; to improve the return spring action; and also to provide an improved controlling valve for governing the supply of steam to the englne.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating an auxiliary starting engine and ratchet mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a half transverse section and half end elevation; Fig. 3, a sectional view of the controlling valve; and, Fig. 4, a sectional view showing the pivotal connection of the spring to].- lower.

According to the construction shown, the auxiliary engine comprises the cylinder, 5, having the piston, 6, with the rod, 7, for actuating the pawl and ratchet mechanism, a suitable valve, 8, and stem, 9, provided with tappets, 10 and 11, actuated by the bar, 12, mounted on the piston rod, 7, for automatically admitting a supply of steam to the cylinder at the inner side of the piston for the out-stroke, and then exhausting the steam from the cylinder for the return stroke under the action of a spring, this construction being similar to that described in my prior applications above mentioned.

According to one of the features of my Serial No. 567,3G0.

present improvement, the cylinder, 5, is

flexibly supported, as by means of the trunnions, 33, while the rod, 7, extends through an elongated bearing, 20, in the outer cylinder head, and bears against the roller, 32, on the pin, 21, connecting the upper ends of the rocker arms, 22, which are mounted to oscillate on an axle, 23, of the locomotive. The pawl, 24, is pivotally mounted on the pin, 19, between the oscillating arms, 22, and is adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, 25, which is keyed or otherwise rigidly fastened upon the axle, 23, between said oscillating arms. A spring, 26, normally holds the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth, but in order to withdraw the pawl when the auxiliary engine is cut out of operation, there is a bell crank, 27, mounted on the oscillating arms and engaging a pin, 28, carried by the pawl, the bell crank carrying an adjusting screw, 29, adapted to engage some portion of the outer cylinder head, when the piston moves to its extreme inner position, and raise the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

According to another feature of my-improvement, the spring, 13, which is employed to effect the return stroke of the ratchet and piston, is mounted on the rod, 17, between the followers, 14 and 16, the follower, 14, being provided with a pivoted bearing, 14, engaging a bracket, 15, carried by the outer cylinder head, and the end of the rod, 17 being forked at 17, and pivotally attached to the opposite ends of the pin, 19, outside of the rocker arms, 22. The fol-- lower, 16, may be shifted by means of a nut to adjust the force of the spring. By means of this construction, the spring, 13, acts in a direction substantially tangential to the arc of movement of the oscillating arms at the pin, 19. The spring, 13, with its rod, 17, may swing upon the bearing, 14 to accommodate the oscillating movement of the arms, 22.

For the purpose of taking the thrust or reaction between the engine cylinder and the axle, and ior assisting in the support of. the cylinder, there are provided tie bars, 30, preferably located upon both sides of the return spring, 13, said tie bars being pivotally connected at one end to the bottom of the engine cylinder and at the other end attached to rings, 31, rotatably mounted on the axle at both. sides of the ratchet wheel,

. as shown in Fig. 2. With this construction,

' ward over,

a compact self contained unitary structure is provided, which may be readily installed upon a locomotive by providing suitable supports for the engine trun-nions and mount ingthe ratchet wheel and other parts upon an axle, such as the axle of the trailer truck.

In operation, when the steam or other fluid under pressure is supplied to the auxiliary engine to assist in starting or propelling the locomotive, the piston, 6, moves outward, thereby. swinging the arms, 22, to actuate the pawl, 24, to turn the ratchet wheel, 25, and the axle, 23, at the same time compressing the spring, 1 3. At the end of the outward stroke the bar, 12, strikes the tappet, 10, on valve rod, 9, and shifts the valve, 8, to cut off the supply of steam to the cylinder and open the exhaust to the atmosphere. lhe spring, 13, then acts to return the piston and swing the pawl backthe ratchet teeth until the bar, 12, engages the other tappet, 11, and shifts the valve in the opposite direction to again openthe supply of steam to the cylinder. The auxiliary engine continues to function in this manner until the supply of steam is shut otl whereupon the spring returns the piston to its extreme inner position in which the screw, 29, of the bell crank, 27, engages the cylinder head and raises the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

Another feature of my improvement relates to the controlling valve for turning on and off a supply of steam to actuate the motor, and this improved construction is shown in Fig. 3, in which the valve, 40, is connected to'a piston, 41, mounted in a casing, i2, and controls the flow of steam through the pipe, 50, in the direction of the arrow. The piston, 411, contains a small port, 43, through which steam may equalize into the chamber, 4L4, above the piston.

F 'rom this chamber a small pipe, 4:5, leads to a vent valve, 46, which has a stem, 47, and a spring, 48. A spring, -19, is located above the piston, 41, and acts to normally hold the valve, 40, closed when the fluid pressure is balanced on the opposite sides otthe piston. The valve, i6, is adapted to be actuated by the engine-man either by the hand or foot, and may preferably be located near the floor of the cab where itmay be readily reached by the engineman, When valve, 16, is opened, the fluid pressure above the piston, 41,.is quickly vented through the pipe, l5, to the atmosphere, and the piston is raised against the spring, 49, by the pressure beneath the piston, thus opening the valve, 40, and turning on the supply of steam through pipe, 50, to the auxiliary engine. hen the pressure of the foot is removed from stem, 47, the spring, 4:8 closes the vent valve, 46, whereupon the steam pressure from beneath the piston, ell, e 11:11- izes through. port, 43, upon the top ot the piston, and the spring, 49, acts to close the valve, 40, thereby shutting oil the supply to the engine through pipe, 50.

The valve casing, 42, may be located in any convenient or suitable position between the steam dome or boiler and the auxiliary engine.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as ne and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with a cylinder, a piston, and valve means to automatically controlling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm mounted on an axle and operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism, actuated by said arm for driving the vehicle, and a spring having a pivotal connection with said arm to effect the return stroke ot the piston and said ratchet.

2. In a vehicle, the con'lbination with a cylinder, a piston, and valve means for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm mounted on an axle and operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism, actuated by said arm for driving the vehicle, a rod pivot-ally connected to said arm, followers on said rod, and a spring between said followers to effect the return stroke of the piston and said ratchet.

3. In a. vehicle, the combination with a cylinder, a piston, and valve means for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm mounted on an axle and operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism, actuated by said arm for driving the vehicle, a bracket carried by the cylinder, :1 rod connected to said arm, a pair of followers on said rod, one of? said followers engaging said bracket and a return spring between said Followers.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with a cylinder flexibly mounted on the vehicle, a piston, an oscillating arm operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism operated by said arm for driving the vehicle, and a lie spring for returning said piston and ratchet.

5. In a vehicle, the combination with a cylinder flexibly mounted on said vehicle, a piston, an oscillating arm operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism mounted on the axle of said vehicle and operated by said arm for driving the vehicle, and a tie-bar pivotally connected to said cylinder and to said axle.

6. In a vehicle, the combination with a cylinder mounted on trunnions, a piston, and valve means for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism operated by said arm for driving the vehicle, and a spring for returning said piston and ratchet.

7. In a vehicle, the combination With a cylinder mounted on trunnions, a piston, and valve means for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm mounted upon an axle, a piston rod having a bearing in the cylinder head and operatively connected to said arm, a ratchet mechanism operated by said arm for driving the vehicle, and a spring for returning the piston and ratchet.

8. In a vehicle, the combination with a cylinder mounted on trunnions, a piston, and valve means "for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm mounted upon an axle and operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism operated by said arm for driving the vehicle, and a tie bar. connected to the cylinder and to said axle.

9. In a vehicle, the combination with a cylinder. mounted on trunnions, a piston,

and valve means for automatically control ling the admission of fluid to said piston, of an oscillating arm mounted upon an axle and operated by said piston, a ratchet mechanism operated by said arm for driving the vehicle, rings rotatably mounted on said axle, and tie bars connecting said rings With the cylinder.

10. In a vehicle, the combination with an auxiliary engine and a ratchet mechanism operated thereby to drive the vehicle, of a control valve device comprising a valve, a piston connected thereto and subject to fluid pressure upon opposite sides, and a man ually operated valve for venting fluid from one side of said piston.

11. In a vehicle, the combination with an auxiliary engine and a ratchet mechanism operated thereby to drive the vehicle, of a control valve device comprising a valve, a casing, a piston therein connected to said valve and containing a through port, a manually operated vent valve for controlling the pressure at one side of said piston, and a spring acting to close said valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLEMENT F. S-T'REEl. 

